Ironing machine



March 31, 1925.

W. A. ZEIDLER IRONING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 26, 1917 3 Sheets-$heet 1 March 31, 1925. 1,531,329-

w. A. ZEIDLER IRONING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 26, 1917 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 mam doc March 31. 1925.

W. A. ZEIIDLER IRONING MACHINE -3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 Svwcnfo:

Hozucq Original Filed Jan. 26, 1917 as L . Patented Mar.

-um'rso STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAK ZEIIDLEB, 0] NEW YORK, N. 11, ASSIGNOB TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY; OF NOBWOOD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

monme micnnin.

Application filed January 26, 1917, Serial No. 144,580. Renewed August '3, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Znmmn, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to ironing and pressing machines of the type wherein a plurality of pressing rollers cooperate with a supporting or ironing bed. A fault heretofore common to such machines has been the rusting of the bed in line with the spaces between the pressing rollers. An important object of my invention is to over come this fault.

Other and more general objects of the invention areto provide a machine of this character of improved and simplified construction.

In the attainment of these several objects I construct the machine with a plurality of pressing rollers cooperating with a supporting bed, and, by producing a relative longitudinal shifting movement of the bed and rollers in respect to each other, bring different portions of the bed successively into cooperating relation with the rollers, this action serving to keep the bed smoothed down, insuring even wearoon the bed and eliminating idle spots on the bed where rusting might otherwise occur.

In a preferred embodiment of the machine, the bed is given a bodily longitudinal reciprocating movement. Preferably also means are provided for adjusting the bed and rollers in respect to each other to bring about a proper cooperating relation between the bed and rollers.

Other features will appear as the specification proceeds, attention being directed to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein is illustrated a practical embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the ironing machine with a portion of the side .framing broken away to show the cooperating engagement of the bed and rollers; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken substantially on the plane of the line .22 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top plan v ew, omitting certain details of gearin Figures 4 and 5 are broken plan and s1 e views, on an enlarged scale, ofthe introductory guide belt tension-adjusting means; Figures 6 and 7 are broken side and top views of the lower adjustable support for the introductory guide; Figure 8 is a broken detail view of the slow" reciprocating the bed.

In the illustration, 1O designates the supporting or ironing bed and 11 the pressing rollers cooperating. therewith, these rollers extending transversely across the face of the ironing bed and the whole being supported on a suitable frame 12. These roll-' ers are usually spaced relatively close togather as indicated and are usually faced with cloth or like material, while the bed s usually of iron or steel.

The objects to be pressed or ironed, such as collars or the like, may be placed on a feed table 13 located at the front end of the machine and be fed from this table, beneath one or more starting rollers 14 which may serve to carry the articles forward into the reach of a guide belt 15, this belt serving to introduce the articlesbeneath the first pressing roller.

This introductory guide belt may be passed completely around one or more of the pressing rollers, as indicated, and it is preferably held down close to the table, at the entrance end thereof by a suitable holddown device, such as the guide 16, pivoted at 17 and having angled sides 18 and 19 over which the downwardly and rearwardly extending stretches of the belt pass. The structure of the hold-down guide is most clearly shown in Figures 6 and 7, wherein it is shown provided with an outstanding arm 20 with which an adjusting screw 21 is engaged for the purpose of shiftingthe guide to vary the angle made with respect to the ironing bed.

Provision is also made, in the machine shown, for taking up the slack and adjusting the tension of the belt, the upper run of the belt, being for this purpose, supgearing for ported on a guide roll or red 22, mounted on brackets 23, carried by the hand screws 24 which are supported on the frame at 25. It will be evident that by turning these hand screws the supporting roll can be advanced or retracted to increase or diminish the tension on the belt. The belt may be guided and held down more or less at its edges by the side gaging members 26, bearing on the upper edge portions of the belt and carried .by the brackets or bushings 27 adjustably secured by set screws 28 on the shank portions of the roller supporting brackets 23.

In the machine of the present illustration, the bed is given a longitudinal reciprocating movement and is, for that reason, supported on rollers 29, bearin on tracks 30, the movement being imparted to the bed by a pitman 31, connected at one end at 32 to the underside of the bed and at its opposite end to a crank pin 33 on the worm gear 34, this gear being driven by a worm 35 on the transversely extending shaft 36. This worm drive imparts a relatively slow back and forth movement to the bed and the extent of this movement is preferably equal to at least the distance between the centres of the pressing rollers, so as to bring all parts of the bed successively into cooperative relation with the rolls. This keeps all parts of the bed clean and polished and prevents the formation of rust on the working face of the bed, The ironing bed being of metal and the rollers being clothed, the work is given a sliding movement over the face of the bed.

Provision may be made for adjusting the bed and rollers toward and away from each other, means for this purpose being here shown in the form of hand screws 37, which, as indicated in Figure 2, serve, when turned, to raise or lower the side bearings 38 in which the pressing rollers arejournaled.

The feeding-in rollers 14 may also be adjust-ably mounted, as by being supported on brackets 39, connected at their lower ends to raising levers 40, which are held in adjusted position by pawls 41, engaging in notches 42 in said levers.

The various rollers may be yieldingly held in their proper positions as by means of suitable springs 43.

Suitable gearing is provided for driving the various parts, such gearing being herein shown as a main drive shaft 44, connected by a sprocket chain 45 and sprocket wheels 46-47 with the worm shaft 36 and by gears 48, 49, 50 with a sprocket shaft 51, which is connected by sprocket wheels 52, 53 and chain 54 with the last pressing roller 11, the pressing rollers being connected successively in pairs by sprocket gears and chains 55, 56. The feeding-in rollers are shown operated by a sprocket chain 57 and sprocket gears 58 from a sprocket gear 59 on the first pressing roller.

One or more of the rollers may be heated, if desired, as by extending a gas burner thereinto.

In operation, the articles are laid on tinfeed table and fed beneath the introductory or feeding-in rollers 14. These rollers forward the articles into the grip of the introductory guide belt which flattens down the articles and passes them in beneath the first pressing roller. The article is then passed on from one roller to another, receiving the requisite finish in this process and being passed out finally at the exit end of the ma chine. During such passage beneath the pressing rollers the bed is being slowly reciprocated so as to bring the different portions of the bed beneath the rollers and this, in addition to keeping the bed clean and smooth and free from rust, also produces a better and more complete ironing and pressing operation.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character set forth, a supporting bed, spaced apart pressing rollers extending substantially transversely of said bed, an introductory guide belt extending between the foremost pressing roller and bed, and an angled guide over which the belt travels for holding the entrance end of the belt in close association with the bed, and means for adjusting the angle of said guide with respect .to the. bed.

2. In a machine of the character set forth, a supporting bed, transversely extending pressing rollers cooperating therewith, an introductory guide belt extending between the foremost pressing roller and bed, and a member provided with an extension under which the belt travels for holding the belt in close association with the bed.

3. In a machine of the character set forth, a supporting bed, transversely extending pressing rollers cooperating therewith, an introductory guide belt extending between the foremost pressing roller and bed, a member provided with an extension under which the belt travels for holding the belt in close association with the bed, and means for ad justing the member. a

4. In a machine of the character set forth, a supporting bed, transversely extending pressing rollers cooperating therewith, an introductory guide belt extending between the foremost pressing roller and bed, a move her provided with an extension under which the belt travels for holding the belt in rinse association with the bed, and an arm connected with the member for adjusting the angularity of the extension with respect to the bed.

5. In an ironing machine, the combination of an ironing member having an ironing face, means having cooperative ironing rollers and transversely of the axes of said ironing engagement therewith throughout the ironing operation, and means for recip rocating said ironin member along a straight line at a di erentrate of speed from that of said feeding means.

6. In a press, a frame, a plurality of pressing and feeding rollers rotatably mounted in said frame, means for driving said rollers, an ironing member having an ironing face, and-means for. reciprocating said member relatively to the work" and transversely of the axes of said rollers and maintaining its ironing face in contact with all of said rollers at all times, the movement of said ironin member being of such extent that all portions of the ironing face of said ironing member that are engaged by the work will be brought into engagement with said rollers.

7. In a pre$,-a frame, a plurality of pressing and feeding rollers rotatably mounted in said frame, means for driving said rollers, an ironing member having an.

ironing face, and means for imparting to said member reciprocatory movement of a diiferent rate of speed from that of said rollers, the movement of said ironing member being of such extent that all ironing portions of the ironing face of said ironing member will be brought into engagement with said rollers, and the relation between the movements of said rollers and ironing member being such that the article to be ironed will slide over the face of said ironing member.

8. In a press, a frame, a plurality of pressing and feeding rollers rotatably mounted in said frame, means for driving said rollers, an ironing member having an ironing face, and means for imparting to said ironing member a reciprocatory movement relatively slow with respect to the movement of said rollers and transversely of the axes of said rollers, the relation between the movements of said rollers and ironing member being such that the article to be ironed will slide over the face of said ironing member and the movement of said ironing member being of such extent that all portions of the ironing face of said ironing member that are engaged by the work will be brought into engagement with said rollers.

9. In a press, a frame, a plurality of pressing and feeding rollers rotatably mounted in said frame, means for driving said rollers, an ironing member having an ironing face, and means for imparting to said ironing member a reciprocatory movement relatively slow with.respeot to the movement of said rollers and transversely of the axes of said rollers, the relation between the movements of said rollers and ironing member being such that the article to be ironed will'slide over the face of said ron ng member and the movement of said IIOl'llIlg member being of such extent that all portions of the ironing face of said ironmg member will be brought intoengagement with said rollers.

10. In a press, a frame, a gang of press-- ing and feeding rollers rotatably mounted in said frame, means for driving said rollers, an ironing member having an ironing face, and means for producing a relative reciprocatory movement between said gang of rollers and said ironing member transreeiprocatory movement between said gang of rollers and said ironing member transversely of the axes of said rollers and maintaining its ironing face in contact with all of said rollers at all times, the relative movement between said rollers and ironing member bein .of an extent atleast equal to the distance etween the axes of the most widely spaced adjacent rollers.

12. In a press, a frame, a gang of equally spaced pressing and feeding rollers rotatably mounted in said frame, means for driving said rollers, an ironing member having an roning face, and means for producing a relative reciprocatory movement between said gang of rollers and said ironing member transversely of the axes ofsaid rollers and maintaining its ironing face in. contactwith all of said rollers at all times, the relative movement between said rollers and ironing member being of such extent that all portions of the ironing face of said ironing member that are engaged by the work will be brought into engagement with said rollers.

'13. In a press, a frame, a gang of equally spaced pressing and feeding rollers rotatably mounted in said. frame, means for driving said rollers, an ironing member having an ironing face, and means for producing a relative reciprocatory movement between said gang of rollers and said ironing member transversely of the axes of said rollers and. maintaining its ironing face in contact with all of said rollers at all times, the relative movement between said rollers and ironing member being of 7 an extent equal at least to the distance between the axes of any two adjacent rollers.

14, In a press, a frame, a gang of equally spaced pressing and feeding rollers rotatably mounted in said frame, means for driving said rollers, an ironing member having an ironing face, and means for producing a' relative reciprocatory movement between said gang of rollers and said ironing member transversely of the axes of said rollers and maintaining its ironing face in contact with all of said rollers at all times, the relative movement between said rollers and ironing member being of an extent equal to the distance between the axes of any two adjacent rollers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM A. ZEIDLER. 

